Mystery surrounds closure of popular London bike shop
VIA Atelier said to have overdue rent payments, as landlord seeks new tenants
London cycling showroom and cafe VIA Atelier is currently closed with mystery surrounding when or whether at all it will open again.
On 24 July, a ‘notice of forfeiture by peaceable re-entry’ was placed in the window of the store located in Coal Drops Yard, behind Kings Cross Station. It explained that the landlord had seized the property due to the tenant’s failure to “pay the reserved rents in accordance with the lease, in that rent due under the terms of the lease is now overdue, has not been paid and remains in arrears”.
The store has now been closed for six weeks.
Cycling Weekly has contacted VIA for comment. Writing on Instagram last month, the business said: “VIA café and showroom are currently closed due to [an] unforeseen series of events, we are working to reopen.
“We know this news may be worrying for our community and for the riders who have become friends over the years. Thank you for bearing with us while we work through the challenges.”
The notice in the window, signed by law firm Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, also states the landlord’s intention to “immediately” re-let the premises. Cycling Weekly understands this is an ongoing process, with new tenants currently being sought.
VIA was co-founded by designer Michael Sodeau and chef Anthony Demetre and opened in 2022. The central London store sold products from brands including POC, Pas Normal Studios, Q36.5 and Standert, hosted events such as launches and race watch-alongs, and previously organised its own VIA Criterium race.
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Its bike workshop has remained open throughout the store closure.
Cycling Weekly understands there is now limited stock remaining inside the store. According to the notice, VIA had until 7 August, two weeks after the notice was issued, to remove its goods from the premises, otherwise the landlord would “sell or dispose of them in the appropriate manner and without further notice”.
An accompanying notice in the shop window, issued by VIA, re-assured that their cycling club's weekly rides will continue to take place as they seek to "resolve this situation".
“Thank you for your continued support,” the VIA notice ended.
Cycling Weekly will update this article if VIA respond to our request for comment.
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Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer and been host of the TT Podcast. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.
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